Spain

Spain To Block Maersk Ships Bound To Israel After Pressure From Activists

November 10, 2024 Ana Vračar, People's Dispatch. Resist! Arms trade, Israel, Maersk, Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Progressive International (PI), Spain, US Aid To Israel, weapons

The Spanish government has announced it will block two ships—Denver and Seletar—operated by shipping giant Maersk and carrying military cargo bound for Israel, from docking at the port of Algeciras. This decision comes just days after the Mask off Maersk campaign released a report exposing the company’s regular use of the Spanish port for transferring cargo that enables the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, despite Spain’s stated arms embargo. Researchers from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) and Progressive International (PI), who contributed to the report, told Peoples Dispatch that it is unclear whether Pedro Sánchez’s administration was genuinely unaware of the shipments or deliberately chose to look the other way.

Housing Activists In Spain Occupy Vacant Bank-Owned Buildings

October 29, 2024 Ella Fassler, Truthout. Resist! Evictions, Housing, Spain, Squatting

When I first arrived in Spain, a real estate agent told me to avoid Manresa, the working-class city outside of Barcelona where a friend of mine lived. “Don’t go there, it’s not very nice,” he said. “Go to Costa Brava [a vacation site up north] — instead.” Unperturbed, I took a train to Manresa the next day. After seeing hammer and sickle graffiti and anti-capitalist slogans as soon as I exited the station, I began to understand why a real estate agent may not feel comfortable in Manresa. I walked to the center of the city, through some windy, narrow streets and a charming plaza peppered with locals moseying around, to meet my friend at Ateneu La Sèquia, a towering building that was once a nunnery but has been turned into a social center thanks to a group of activists who reclaimed the space by squatting in it.

Anticipating Escalation: Neutralizing Swarming’s Armed Front

October 18, 2024 Misión Verdad, Orinoco Tribune. Strategize! CIA, Drug Trafficking, Maria Corina Machado, Mercenaries, Regime Change, Spain, Venezuela

In her effort to readjust the agenda of regime change and in the face of a clear mood of demobilization within her ranks, María Corina Machado has decided to publicly incorporate the concept of “swarming“ into her narrative. This decision reflects the consolidation of a path that goes beyond what is attempted to be presented as “peaceful protest” by proposing a more aggressive form of confrontation, embedded in the scope of military operations, while using the discourse on human rights to counteract the possible limitations suffered by the violent actions that the far right hopes to set in motion.

Spain Goes On General Strike Against Genocide In Gaza

September 30, 2024 John McAulay, Palestine Chronicle. Resist! General Strike, Genocide, International Solidarity, Israel, Palestine, Spain

Something did not seem right at the Raval campus of Barcelona University on Friday, September 27. Early on a fresh morning, some thirty students and teachers lingered in the open air, outside the main building, seemingly unwilling to go inside. Classes were set to start soon, but they had no alternative but to stay where they were. “I don’t think we’ll be teaching today”, a professor mentioned to his colleagues. The reason? A dozen activists completely blocked the access, aided by two dumpsters and a plastic fence, and are not allowing anyone in. Dressed from head to toe in black to prevent being recognized, one of them hid their face behind a keffiyeh.

Venezuela’s Parliament To Request Break Of Relations With Spain

September 12, 2024 Alba Ciudad, Orinoco Tribune. Educate! Democracy, Diplomatic Relations, Elections, Spain, Trade, Venezuela

The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly (AN), Jorge Rodríguez, has asked the Foreign Policy Commission of parliament to prepare a report calling for President Nicolás Maduro’s administration to break diplomatic, commercial, and consular relations with Spain—including the suspension of commercial passenger flights—in response to the decision of the Spanish Congress to ignore the democratic victory of President Nicolás Maduro in the July 28 Venezuelan elections, and instead “recognize” the fictitious “victory” of the far-right opposition’s former candidate, Edmundo González.

US Won’t Comply With Investigation Into CIA Operation Targeting Assange

August 1, 2024 Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter. Educate! CIA, Julian Assange, Spain, Surveillance

The United States government notified a Spanish criminal court that it still will not comply with requests from Spanish investigators, who are trying to uncover details about an espionage operation that targeted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. As the Spanish newspaper El País reported on July 29, Courtney E. Lee, a trial attorney in the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, claimed that providing information to Spain’s national high court would “interfere” with “ongoing U.S. litigation.” Assange was the target of an unprecedented political prosecution that was globally condemned as a threat to press freedom. The case ended in a plea deal in late June after U.S. prosecutors feared that Assange might win his appeal against extradition.

Spain Is First European State To Back ICJ Genocide Case Against Israel

July 1, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. Resist! European Union (EU), Genocide, International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel, Palestine, Palestine Solidarity, South Africa, Spain

Spain filed a Declaration of Intervention on 28 June in the case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), becoming the first European state to do so. “This intervention is motivated by our responsibility as a State party to the Genocide Convention and our firm commitment to international law,” said the Spanish Foreign Ministry. In December, South Africa brought the case against Israel to the ICJ, the world’s highest court, alleging that Israel’s ongoing war on Palestinians in Gaza is a breach of the Genocide Convention. “We seek to contribute to bringing peace back to Gaza and the Middle East,” the Spanish Foreign Ministry added, emphasizing the need for a two-state solution to ensure lasting peace and stability for Palestinians and Israelis.

European Recognition Of Palestine Signals Major Shift In Discourse

June 6, 2024 Ramzy Baroud, MintPress News. Resist! Europe, Gaza, Ireland, Norway, Palestine, Spain

If one were to argue that a top Spanish government official would someday declare that “from the river to the sea, Palestine would be free,” the suggestion would have seemed ludicrous. But this is precisely how Yolanda Diaz, Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister, concluded a statement on May 23, a few days before Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state. The Spanish, Norwegian, and Irish recognition of Palestine is the most important. Western Europe is finally catching up with the rest of the world regarding the significance of a solid international position in support of the Palestinian people and rejection of Israel’s genocidal practices in occupied Palestine.

Ireland, Spain And Norway To Formally Recognize Palestinian Statehood

May 23, 2024 Diego Ramos, Scheer Post. Educate! Indigenous Sovereignty, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Palestine, Spain

Ireland, Spain and Norway will formally recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, a milestone diplomatic decision that hopes to bring resolution to the conflict in Gaza. “We must be on the right side of history,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said amongst the announcements with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Harris, speaking at a news conference in Dublin, said he hopes the decision would “offer hope and encouragement to the people of Palestine at one of their darkest hours.” Sánchez addressed the Spanish Parliament, stating: We hope that our recognition and our reasons contribute to other western countries following this path, because the more we are, the more strength we will have to impose a ceasefire, to achieve the release of the hostages held by Hamas, to relaunch the political process that can lead to a peace agreement.

Spain Denies Docking Permit To Ship Carrying Indian Arms For Israel

May 18, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. Resist! Blockade, Genocide, Israel, Palestine, Spain, weapons

Spain will not authorize ships carrying weapons for Israel to call at its ports, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on 17 May, because Spain does not “want to contribute to war” in Gaza. Albares said the refusal was consistent with the government’s decision not to grant weapon export licenses to Israel since 7 October. The announcement came after Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente confirmed in a social media post his country’s refusal to allow a ship carrying weapons to Israel to dock at the port of Cartagena in southeast Spain. The Marian Danica, which was carrying approximately 27 tons of explosive materials from the Indian city of Madras to Israel, requested permission to arrive in Cartagena on 21 May, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported.

Foreign Fighters From US, France And India Are Fighting Israel’s War

March 7, 2024 Jessica Buxbaum, MintPress News. Educate! France, Genocide, India, Israel, Palestine, Spain, The Netherlands, US Imperialism, War crimes, Wars and Militarism

Israelis aren’t the only demographic among the IDF’s forces in Gaza. Foreign fighters from as far away as the United States, France, Spain, the Netherlands and even India actively participate in the hostilities. While the exact number of internationals fighting in Gaza isn’t known, what is known is that citizens from numerous countries appear to be at least complicit in what has been called a genocide. Under Israel’s Law of Return, any individual with at least one Jewish grandparent or spouse can obtain Israeli citizenship. In this regard, many born abroad can serve in Israel’s military while still keeping their birthplace’s nationality. They often emigrate and then serve in the army.

Canada, Australia, New Zealand Urge Israel Against ‘Catastrophic’ Assault

February 15, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. Resist! Australia, Canada, European Union (EU), Genocide, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Palestine, Rafah, Spain, Wars and Militarism

Canada, Australia, and New Zealand issued a joint statement on 15 February expressing serious concern over Israel’s planned assault on Gaza’s southern city of Rafah. "We are gravely concerned by indications that Israel is planning a ground offensive into Rafah. A military operation into Rafah would be catastrophic," the joint statement read. “We urge the Israeli government not to go down this path. There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go,” it added. The statement comes one day after Germany and France showed their concern over the planned attack. “One point three million people are waiting there in a very small space. They don’t really have anywhere else to go right now

Citing World Court, Japan Firm Cuts Ties With Israel Arms Maker

February 8, 2024 Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada. Resist! Belgium, Elbit, International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel, Japan, Joe Biden, Palestine, Spain, Switzerland, weapons

A major Japanese industrial conglomerate is cutting ties with Israeli arms maker Elbit, citing the International Court of Justice ruling that Israel may be committing genocide in Gaza. Itochu Corporation said its aviation division would terminate its partnership with Elbit by the end of February. Tsuyoshi Hachimura, Itochu’s chief financial officer, said that his company’s partnership with Elbit was “based on a request from the Japan’s defense ministry for the purpose of importing defense equipment for the Self-Defense Forces necessary for Japan’s security, and is not in any way related to the current conflict between Israel and Palestine.” But the decision to end the relationship clearly is.

Biden Tries To Rein In Spain After Veto Of EU Entry In Anti-Yemen Taskforce

December 26, 2023 News Desk, The Cradle. Educate! European Union (EU), Joe Biden, Naval Task Force, Palestine Solidarity, Spain, Yemen

US President Joe Biden spoke with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on 22 December to discuss bilateral relations and the “dramatic situation” in Gaza. The NATO partners “stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not expand in the region, to include condemning ongoing [Yemeni] attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea,” the White House readout of the call highlights. However, the official readouts do not mention Spain's role in the recently announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, as reports in Spanish media have revealed that Sanchez's office ordered Madrid's mission in Brussels to veto the participation of EU naval forces in the anti-Yemen coalition.

Dock Workers Refuse To Deal With Weapons Ships Heading To Israel

November 10, 2023 Middle East Monitor, Orinoco Tribune. Resist! Anti-War, Barcelona, Belgium, Gaza, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine, Ports, Spain, Unions, United Nations (UN), weapons, Worker Rights and Jobs

Workers at the Spanish port of Barcelona announced their refusal to allow any ships carrying weapons to operate inside the port, rejecting the violence practiced by Israel in the occupied territories, and accusing the UN of failing to carry out its role. The workers said in a statement to their association that it is their duty to adhere to and defend the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, at a time when the signatory countries have forgotten about it. The statement continued: “We decided within the association not to allow ships containing war materials to operate in our port, for the sole purpose of protecting any civilian population, regardless of their location, as there is no justification for sacrificing civilians.”

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